When you apply for private health insurance in Germany, your insurer will check your medical history. This process, known as risk assessment, determines the coverage and price.
Possible outcomes
Full coverage at the lowest possible cost
Not all conditions affect your policy. In many cases, you can even pay less than with public health insurance.
Risk surcharges
If you have ongoing health conditions or injuries, you might be offered coverage with a higher monthly price.
Exclusion of coverage
Your policy stays affordable, but you pay out of pocket for any treatment related to your existing condition (for example, dental care for a missing tooth).
Denial of coverage
For the following conditions and treatments: asthma, arthritis, autoimmune disorders, drug addiction, HIV, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, hepatitis, cancer, diabetes, taking PrEP, ADHD, mental health conditions, ongoing or recent psychotherapy (more than 5 sessions in the last 5 years or more than 25 in total), or a combination of these or other complex diagnoses.
The details you see when signing up are usually final. If anything changes after you submit your application, we’ll let you know.
Honesty matters
Always give complete and accurate information about your health history.
If something is missing from your application and the insurer finds out later, your coverage can be canceled, and finding a new insurer will be much harder.
If you do not qualify for private health insurance
You still have options. Try our recommendation tool to see other available policies, such as public or expat health insurance.